The xloadimage utility displays images in an X Window System window, loads images into the root window, or writes images into a file. Xloadimage supports many image types (including GIF, TIFF, JPEG, XPM, and XBM).

A flaw was discovered in xloadimage where filenames were not properly quoted when calling the gunzip command. An attacker could create a file with a carefully crafted filename so that it would execute arbitrary commands if opened by a victim. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the name CAN-2005-0638 to this issue.

Another bug in xloadimage would cause it to crash if called with certain invalid TIFF, PNM, PBM, or PPM file names.

All users of xloadimage should upgrade to this erratum package which contains backported patches to correct these issues.

4. Solution:

Before applying this update, make sure that all previously-released errata relevant to your system have been applied. Use Red Hat Network to download and update your packages. To launch the Red Hat Update Agent, use the following command:

up2date

For information on how to install packages manually, refer to the following Web page for the System Administration or Customization guide specific to your system: